


Friendship and soulmates

by Reronettie (Killianemma915)



Category: General Hospital
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Humor, Past Relationship(s), Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:28:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22050295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killianemma915/pseuds/Reronettie
Summary: Nikolas visits Elizabeth and learns that her life has changed drastically since he left.
Relationships: Nikolas Cassadine/Elizabeth Webber, Robert "Franco" Frank/Elizabeth Webber
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Friendship and soulmates

Elizabeth Webber-Baldwin sat on the sofa in her living room, basking in the afterglow of a great night with her husband. Having Franco back was a miracle. Today was a good day. Epiphany had gotten her the day off, and Franco didn't go back to work for another week. The boys were out of the house. Jake spent the night at a friend's, and Cameron had gone out for coffee with Trina before her shift at Ava's gallery. He was going to apply for an internship after that and told her he would probably be out until late afternoon. Liz was looking forward to a quiet day at home.  
Secretly, she was hoping they could spend most of the day in bed. She had missed making love to Franco. They made up for some lost time the night before, and she was grateful for that. Being with Franco was an experience like she had never had before. Sex was enjoyable with her past lovers, but with him, she often forgot that they had ever been two separate people.  
For now, she was letting him rest. His brain needed to recover from extreme trauma. The two memory mapping procedures topped with the scarring from his brain tumor worried her. He didn't appear to be having problems, but she understood there were all kinds of possible side effects. Franco had more brain damage than one person ever should. Yet, he seemed to have come out of all of it mostly unscathed.  
She was standing in the kitchen, rinsing her coffee cup when the chime of the doorbell sounded. The time was not even 9 am. Elizabeth walked over to answer the door, thinking it must be Scott. Her father in law had left his briefcase in the living room after they had him over for dinner the night before. He must need it for a case. As Elizabeth opened the door, she felt as though she stepped back in time four years. The man standing before her was definitely not Scott Baldwin. It was her lifelong best friend, and as far as she was concerned, he was dead. It was like someone punched her in the gut. Tears formed in her eyes, and she couldn't stop them.  
"Nikolas!" The shock ran through Elizabeth's body, she tried hard not to faint. The world tipped and she was dizzy.  
"I'm sorry to do this to you with no warning." He grimaced. "Are you ok?" Her hand was gripping the door frame and he must have noticed.  
"How is this possible?" her heart was still pounding.  
"I've been hiding out here for a few months. Unforeseen events forced me to reveal myself to all the guests at Valentin and Nina's wedding last night, and I didn't want to risk you finding out from someone else. So, you are my first stop this morning." He put his arms out, and she moved speechless into a hug. The sensation was familiar yet strangely foreign all at the same time.  
"Reveal yourself?" It took a moment to process is words. "Listen, you need to tell me what the hell is going on."  
"When I was shot, I nearly died. I thought I was going to die, but a ship found me. The crew brought me back to the mainland and nursed me back to health. The process took a long time, I had a horrible infection and I'd lost a lot of blood." He spoke quickly.  
"Why didn't you contact your mother or me we would have come for you in a moment." She chided. "You should not have gone through that alone."  
"I wanted to, so many times. But if I came back right away, Valentin would win. I needed leverage." He spoke but Elizabeth still didn't process any of the words. "Figuring out my next steps took time. It is a long story, but I found out about a secret Helena hid somewhere, and I realized her hidden codicil would change everything."  
"Why do you care so much about Helena's money and the Cassadine name Nikolas? I can't believe you would do this to your family." The cry sounded angry. "We all thought you died."  
"You don't seem happy that I'm here." He gave her an inquiring glance. "I'm so happy to see you, and you..."  
"I don't know what I am. The last few months have been crazy for this family, and just when I think it is calming down, you walk through my door. This family can never get a single quiet day." She let out a long breath. "A lot has changed, Nik; Let me tell you everything before we go further."  
"I understand things are different." He spoke softly. "Four years is a long time."  
"Have You been keeping tabs on me then?" She asked, hoping he would understand.  
"No I got people watching my mother and sister, I figured you were too far separated for Valentin to care." He appeared to be worried, "My resources weren't endless, I remembered you got this place and figured you and the boys were still living here."  
"Nikolas, please, this might come as a shock." She began.  
"Whatever you need to tell me, please let me talk first. When I almost died, I realized I wasted a lot of my life. My greatest regret was not being with you. I should never have chosen Britt, and I'm so sorry." Before Liz could object, he grabbed her, pulling her into a gentle kiss. Her eyes opened wide. There was nothing, none of the spark that happened before. It was nothing like the evening she'd spent making love to her husband just hours before. She pushed him away hard, he was dazed.  
"What the hell do you think you are doing? Stop kissing my wife." She heard Franco's voice coming from the foot of the stairs. "Hands off. I wouldn't want to have to kill you again, Prince Cassadine." Elizabeth stifled a laugh. Franco hardly looked intimidating in his plaid pajama bottoms, and I love art t-shirt. The old territorial jealousy was ebbing to the surface, and that frightened her.  
"This isn't what you think, Babe. I swear." Liz shoved to her feet, ignoring Nik and went to stand by her husband. As usual, Franco's presence comforted her. "He doesn't know everything. I was trying to explain when he kissed me." Liz saw Nik's eyes drift to her hand. They locked a moment too long on her wedding rings.  
"Babe," Nik said, pointing at them. "Wife?" Franco slid an arm over Liz's shoulders casually. The stance was familiar for them. Liz smiled up at him with a united love she was not ashamed to show her oldest friend.  
"Franco and I are married, Nikolas," Elizabeth maintained eye contact trying to make sure Nik understood. "Very happily married." Franco gave her a broad smile, almost as if he had forgotten Nik was there. She was proud of him, the man she started dating four years ago would punch first and asked questions later. The trust they had built over four years together, was a powerful factor.  
"You married the man who kidnapped your son?" Nikolas shook his head. "He is a serial killer. I can't believe you let the boys be around him. Are you suffering from amnesia or is something wrong with your brain?" Nik questioned.  
"No, that was me; remember, I had this pesky thing called a brain tumor." Franco was his usual sarcastic self. Elizabeth loved him so much. "If you look at my records, I have basically been a model citizen since they took it out."  
"When you died, this was already starting. You knew Franco was treating Jake. These feelings were there even then, I was just trying to hid them. You were there when he brought Jake the bike." Elizabeth grinned up at her husband.  
"That is a big leap from letting the guy treat Jake to marrying him!" He seemed dumbstruck.  
"I tried to warn you a lot had changed." She spoke gently. "If you had just listened instead of trying to kiss me."  
"This man is a monster Elizabeth, how can anyone be ok with this." Nikolas reeled.  
"It's been a long journey." Elizabeth started. "For a while, I didn't know how to accept my feelings, but I knew for a long time I could easily fall in love with Franco. When I stopped seeing him as a Monster, it was over." Franco nodded at her with a look showing how much the words touched him.  
"Frankly, I don't care if you think I'm a monster, most of the world does. The only people who matter to me are Elizabeth and our boys." He was direct and Elizabeth understood that he was telling the truth. Franco didn't care what anyone thought of him. "Though I have quite a few fans these days."  
"He does," Elizabeth said. "Your mother and Kevin are two of them."  
"Our boys?" Nikolas snapped, staring back and forth.  
"Franco embraces all three of the boys as his children," Liz clarified. "He is even about to adopt Cameron."  
"You can not tell me that you fall for this Elizabeth. You are not stupid. I need you to talk to me." Nikolas said. "Whatever this is, we can fix it."  
"You listen to me, Nikolas Cassadine," Elizabeth's voice gained a much more assertive tone. "This man is the love of my life. He is a better father to my children than any of their fathers ever were. He proves time, and again he would never do anything to cause this family pain. Franco shows me an unconditional love I didn't know existed before. He even sacrificed his own life to save my son. I never felt for you even 1/10 of what I do for him. He completes my family and my heart. If you are going to continue talking this way about him, you can get the hell out of my house." Nikolas looked taken aback. The woman he had known was meek, this Liz was not a little mouse anymore.  
"Fine." He resigned to her will. Franco released some of his tension. He always hated it when people reminded him of his past. Even he knew it was time to let go and move on.  
"I need to talk to Nikolas alone." Liz managed. Franco nodded in understanding.  
"I will be right upstairs if you need me." She understood that he would not go far. "As long as you promise to keep your hands and your lips off my wife." Franco glared.  
"I won't touch her again," Nik promised. Franco planted a kiss firmly on her lips before heading up the stairs.  
"This could take a while." She said to Nikolas.  
"I'm all ears." He was still worried about her, but he didn't voice it. She had a new exuberance and strength he never expected to find.  
-/-  
It took almost an hour for Elizabeth to tell Nikolas everything. Without going into specifics, Liz explained about Franco saving Andy when they were children. She told him she had been terrified when she realized she was falling for a man who once kidnapped her son. Then about how she finally realized if he could love and protect her as he did, he would never hurt her. She explained what it had been like standing by him when he went through some of the hardest moments of his life. Nikolas listened as she told him about all the ways Franco was there for her boys. He was their stepfather, but they all loved him as if he were a real father. When she got to the part about Franco saving Cameron, Nikolas teared up, and she explained the fight she had gone through to bring her husband back. He seemed the most surprised that of all the men Elizabeth had ever been with; Franco Baldwin was the one she fought like hell to keep. She obviously genuinely loved the man.  
"I'm sorry I wasn't here for you." He said when it was over. "And it seems like I owe Franco an apology, and thanks for the fact that he was."  
"I'm sure he would appreciate hearing that." She agreed.  
"I like seeing you like this," Nik admitted.  
"Like what?" She asked.  
"When I left, you were broken and weak. You lost the sparkle which made you Elizabeth. That sparkle is back, but there is more. I came back to find a strong, confident, and happy woman who doesn't take shit from anyone." He gave her a huge grin, and she couldn't help but smile back. "I'm proud of you."  
"Franco made me realize that everyone, including two messed up souls like us, deserve love. I shouldn't need to beg or be anyone's second choice. I am first for Franco not matter what. He just understands me in a way that makes me see I'm worth it. I don't know if you ever experienced that, but I hope someday you will." She explained. "Because knowing you are with the person you are supposed to be with makes all the difference."  
"I'm sorry about what I said before; it was jarring realizing you married Franco of all people." He said. "We have been friends too long for me to instantly jump to the wrong conclusion, and I hope you can forgive me."  
"It is already over, Nik. Just don't do it again." She paused. "I love you, but I will choose my husband every time."  
"I can see that." He laughed. "Friends?"  
"Friends." Elizabeth smiled back.  
"Thank you." He said. "I should go, but I hope to meet up with you and Franco again soon." He kissed her on the cheek this time, a little forlorn to realize he truly missed his chance.  
-/-  
Once he was gone, Elizabeth walked up the stairs. Franco was sitting on the landing. She laughed, knowing he had been listening to the entire conversation. Her husband could be childish at times, but at least he owned it.  
"I liked all the nice things you said about me." He got to his feet. "Sometimes I can't believe I get to be with you."  
"I am with you, forever, don't forget it." She let him pull her to his chest.  
"I just have one question." Franco was a little nervous.  
"Anything." She giggled as he nuzzled her hair.  
"Did you enjoy kissing him?" She chuckled mischievously  
"It was the best kiss of my entire life." She teased so over-dramatically that he giggled. Then she put her hands on either side of his face looking him dead in the eyes. "It was nothing compared to you." He gave her a look so loving she thought she hung the moon. "When I'm with you, it's like I forget where one of us ends and the other starts. The rest of the world stops, and there is only me and you, No one else has ever done that for me."  
"I love you." He whispered against her earlobe.  
"Then how about you come and show me," She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the bedroom, closing the door behind them.


End file.
